Developing Hope

I am so thankful for the Bridle Up Hope program! I've been trying to develop hope and find resources of hope for many years. Honestly, I doubted I could find lasting hope from the Bridle Up Hope program, but being desperate for finding hope I gave it a chance… and I'm so glad I did!

Getting out of my home environment and into the horse stables to learn basic horsemanship was all new for me and was good for my spirits. My instructor, Leslie, was so positive and encouraging which also lifted my mood weekly. Her dedication to my Bridle Up Hope experience evidenced her personal value and commitment to me and my learning. I've also been able to participate in extra-curricular classes and on-going service at the BUH stables. For me and my circumstances, all these opportunities make a positive difference in my well-being.

While working with horses was the biggest draw for me to try the Bridle Up Hope it was the deep reading and application of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People book which most-impacted me long-term. I spent more hours with this book and its principles than I did with the horses. I have long wondered about what I should be doing with my life now that I don't have anyone telling me what to do. In younger years parents, teachers, bosses, and even friends have told me what I should be doing in life; and I was really good at following their instructions. In the course of maturing, I learned to trust myself more than others, yet I still didn't know what is expected of me as an independent adult, nor was I able to accomplish what I expected I should be doing despite my efforts... always doing the right things the best I could, the way I measured success, and not achieving them, made me believe I was a failure in my life. I didn't know how to measure success in any other way. I tear up now thinking of the personal direction the 7 Habits have provided me… a way to live and learn according to my own values and abilities!

The 7 Habits taught me that I can be a successful person each and every day regardless of where I live; whether or not I have a high-paying job (or any job); or have loving supportive relationships. I can be successful by selecting daily goals according to my personal mission statement (which I created for myself) according to my own values in the areas of spiritual, physical, mental, and social realms. This is called my Daily Private Victory. I had no idea that doing these basic self-care things on a daily basis was so important as to be called my Daily Private Victory! I don't remember any parent or teacher teaching me these personal accomplishments to be necessary in life. Again, I can accomplish these crucial habits every day and feel good about myself and my decisions despite whatever else is going on around me, and despite all that didn't come to fruition for me. Now I have a way to succeed that isn't dependent upon any exterior situation!

Within the pages of the 7 Habits, I find encouraging and enlightening messages (even short statements) which give me hope. And subsequently, the hope instills motivation in me to act. The pages are filled with steps and actions I can take, and choices I can make! I've never met Stephen Covey, and although he never specifically addresses these collected principles to work for adult orphans who live in a virtual ghost town, unable to find a fitting job, Stephen Covey's book was written for me! I wished I had it available to read when I was 13… if I had read it back then I trust I would have felt better about myself and made better choices for myself. Still, I'm not dead yet, and I have started the 7 Habits and am committed to continue to make them part of my life as best as I can. Near the end of this book, someone is quoted to say that this book changed their life; I, too, believe this book will be changing my life… it gives me hope!

Working with horses is a unique opportunity in which I loved being around different beautiful horses and learning how to care for them. For me, more importantly, I learned crucial life principles that will help me blossom in my personal life as well as interact with others in various capacities, creating relationships and outcomes greater than I've been able to experience before my study of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Thank you, Coveys and the Bridle Up Hope staff and contributors who made finding hope possible for me!

- Bridle Up Hope Mapleton Women’s Participant

‍